If you have heard that you can see the Great Wall of China from space, I hate to break it to you, but that’s a big fat lie. However, there are many other amazing things that you’d be able to see from space. Just look at these images from satellites and the International Space Station (ISS)!
1. Great Barrier Reef
The 2253 kilometers long reef off the northeast coast of Australia is one of the world’s seven natural wonders. This underwater haven is home to thousands of different sea creatures, including humpback whales. Looking at it from space allows us to see our planet as we have never seen it before.
2. Hurricanes
The ISS monitors weather conditions around the world to ensure that all countries are prepared for potential disasters. In particular, the ISS monitors hurricanes. This type of tropical storm requires a lot of heat, so they occur only where the sea temperature is above 26 ° C.
3. Palm islands
Construction of these huge man-made islands began off the coast of Dubai 20 years ago. About 110 million cubic meters of sand were used to create the Palm Jumeirah archipelago. Nearby are islands that look like a map of the world, and it is rumored that they are working on creating several more that resemble the solar system. If this happens, you will be able to see Uranus from space!
4. Pyramids of Giza
With an area of 230 square meters and a height of 146 meters, it’s no wonder you can see the colossal pyramids in Egypt from space! They’ve been standing there in complete silence for almost 5,000 years. The Great Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Cheops around 2,500 BC.
5. River Thames
Whenever the ISS flies over London at night time, you can see exactly where the River Thames flows, thanks to all the lights illuminating its banks. In fact, most major cities around the world can be seen at night from the station, and each illuminated city is more beautiful than the previous one.
6. Himalayas
You can see many mountain ranges from the orbit, but perhaps the Himalayas are the most impressive. They occupy about 75% of Nepal’s territory and feature the highest mountain in the world — Mt. Everest. Fun fact: Everest has several different names — in Nepali, it is Sagarmatha, and in Tibetan — Jomolungma.
7. Greenhouses in Almeria
In this 350 square kilometers sea of plastic, an insane amount of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are grown every year. According to official reports, 70% of tomatoes exported to the EU come from Almeria and Granada. You could make the biggest ever bowl of salad from all these veggies, and it would probably be seen from the ISS as well.
8. Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is definitely impressive up close, but if you want to see it all, you’ll need to go into space. This natural wonder is located in Arizona and thanks to its size it can be easily spotted from the ISS. The gigantic rift in the ground goes on for about 446 kilometers.
9. Amazon River
Many argue about where the Amazon actually begins and ends — but its length is at least 6,437 kilometers. That’s a straight flight from Manchester, England, to Lahore, Pakistan. Also, just a fun fact, but around 130 million years, ago this river flowed in the opposite direction.
